The Football Association is studying footage of the controversial TV interviews with Sir Alex Ferguson which followed Manchester United's 1-0 defeat at Arsenal to decide whether the Scot has once again crossed the line of criticising match officials

Ferguson, who has only just returned to the dugout after a five-game touchline ban for comments about the referee Martin Atkinson, claimed that United ought to have had a late penalty at the Emirates on Sunday for Gaël Clichy's challenge on United's substitute Michael Owen.

"We're not going to get the decisions in these big games, I'm afraid," Ferguson claimed after the game. "We are not going to get decisions like that in a major game. It's too big a game and we don't seem to get these decisions."

The United manager went on to complain about the favourable decisions he feels Chelsea have enjoyed in the recent league fixtures against his team, which was interpreted as his method of applying pressure on the officials who will take charge when the London club are at Old Trafford on Sunday. Any FA action on Tuesday would anger and enrage both Ferguson and United.

The defender Patrice Evra, though, has said that United's players are to blame, rather than officials, now that their pursuit of a record 19th league title has the potential for disaster following their loss at the Emirates. "There were some difficult decisions but I don't want to talk about the referee," he said.

"The problem was Man United not the referee. It is easy to find some excuse. We did not play the Man United way and when we don't play the Man United way we don't deserve anything."

United's advantage over Chelsea was 15 points on 28 February, albeit with the Old Trafford club having played an extra game. But the defending champions have taken 25 points from an available 27. "We have a massive game against Chelsea [on Sunday]," Evra said. "If we want to win the title then we have to beat Chelsea – it's as simple as that. If we don't beat them then we'll be in trouble.

"We just need to play the Man United way. I am not worried because we know we didn't do the things we normally do against Arsenal. We have three games left and we need to win every game. Every game is a final."